Continued research into the basic physico-chemical nature of the living cell with special emphasis on the physical state of water and ions in the cell and on the molecular mechanisms whereby the major product of metabolism, ATP, energizes biological work performance. More specifically, we propose to continue investigation into the molecular mechanism involved in the maintenance of cell shape and volume, the cellular electrical potential, and how small molecules in the form of ions, drugs and hormones regulate cell function under normal as well as abnormal (diseased) conditions.